Moving Right Along

I've been working quite a bit on some products for "my shop on Etsy" (I intentionally referred to it in this way after reading this post).  I have some finishing touches to add to my items, photos to take, and need to finalize my logo, but I'm almost there!

In the meantime, after sewing so much stuff for my shop, I've been itching to make something quick for me/us.  I kept coming back to that stack of fabrics I pulled a week ago for a potential bag.  But, I was in a pillow and triangles mood.  So, I came up with this.




I like the mix of color with black/white and the abstract prints with the florals.  It's kinda funky and fun!  The background is yarn dyed Essex linen which I fell in love with after using on some bags for my shop.  Super soft stuff!  While I was making this I was imagining a giant patchwork throw with these prints, backed in the linen, turned, and hand tied.  Hmmmm...  



I quilted the triangles with opposing parallel lines and left the rest of it alone.      



 The print on the back (and also used on the front) is one of my recent favorites, from Paula Prass's Botanika.  The piping is from Hope Valley.  I have to admit, I got so excited I rushed a bit on this pillow and didn't do the best job with the piping and closing up the whole thing.  It's a bit puckered in places and a little overstuffed, but I still love it!

Thanks for stopping by!

Sunday Musings!

We had a great weekend here!  A definite highlight was the little goofballs' first time on the ice.  Wowee, it was a bit tougher than they thought it would be, but it was fun!

 

I got so much great feedback on my little list-takers - thank you!  Ever since then I've been feeling like diving into a whole bunch of new sewing projects.  I spent some time over the weekend looking through my sewing/quilting books for some inspiration and fell in love with a few things.  Mostly things for me (oops!).



I am really loving "Patchwork Style" by Suzuko Koseki.  I would love to make a bigger version of this bag:




And, I pulled this pile of fabrics as a starting point:



I also was really drawn to this patchwork blanket and love the rickrack over the seams.  Just going to file this one away. 



I also got "Scrap Republic" by Emily Cier for Christmas after reading so many great reviews here.  After looking through it, my immediate reaction was that it would be a fun book to work through from start to finish.  There are 8 quilt projects and they seem to increase in complexity, amount of scraps required, and size as you work through the book.  I love them all.  So, when I find that magical free time I might get started on the first one.

Tonight, we are just relaxing and watching the Golden Globes.  I enjoy taking note of movies and shows to watch.  I feel pretty complete if I have a great show or two that I watch regularly.  We don't have cable so we do a lot of Netflix streaming and renting.  We were pretty disappointed after streaming the first episode of "Homeland" for free online and then discovering that the others aren't available...ahhh, what a compelling first episode!  I've been hearing great things about "Downtown Abbey" so maybe we'll try for that.

That's about it for our weekend.  Hope yours was great!

Take Notes + Better Photographs

I'm one of those write it down kind of people.  I learn best and remember things better when I write them down somewhere.  Which is probably why I was drawn to make these list-takers.  Those typewriters by Melody Miller's are pretty perfect, huh?!?!  Makes me want to open them all up and take notes.  



The pattern for these "list-takers" is by Jennifer Casa (available here).  Fantastic pattern and I totally enjoyed putting them together!  The creative opportunity that comes with quilting something small is really fun. 



 Open them up and they look something like this.  I made them a little less wide (~1" less) than what the pattern called for mainly to accommodate a Kindle in the left pocket.  Mine fits nice and snug in there.  Just a little bonus for those people that like to take notes while they read.  Now I just need to find some buttons for closure.  I made these for my "future endeavor" (shop, craft fair, bribing friends, ??), and will definitely be making more!



Today I spent some time playing around with my photography options.  I want to have more consistent and better photos of things I make, but I feel like I have a few things against me in the photography department: a) I really just don't love taking photos, b) our camera (which is a Sony DSLR) is unpredictable (some sort of sensory unit in it is broken and it is really tough to center things), and c) our house gets very little natural light (hello, pine tree central!).  So, today I took photos inside and outside, a few different times of the day in a few different spots.  It was an experimental kind of venture. 

Personally, I really favor fun and evocative photos.  Like this...



When I got my iphone, I immediately fell in love with the camera on it and instagram and all of those super cool apps.  My favorite picture as of late is the one of Joe jumping on the bed that I posted here.  I love it in all its blurriness.  But, when it comes to handmade things, particularly those I'd like to sell one day, I need details, like this stitching...



Anyway, all of this is to say that I think my dorky photog tests worked out well and I am glad I took the time to actually experiment with things.  Now I have a plan...outdoors on our deck, in natural *slightly overcast* daylight on top a lovely white sheet of paper.  So, that's what I'll be aiming for.  But when it comes to cats and humans and life, I'll be keeping it real!     

This Weekend...

...We celebrated! I won't name any names, but someone in this house is now in their upper 30s *gasp*!



...We ate ice cream cake on a spring-like day.



...We surprised a good friend at her going away party even though I'm not ready to admit she's going away.

...At said party, all the adults confirmed while watching me attempt Just Dance 3, that I, in fact, have two left feet.

...The kids told me I'm an awesome dancer! Whoop!

...We doted and obsessed and prayed (yes, prayed) for our poor, aging, lethargic, unusually quiet cat who was clearly "very ill".

...We woke up amazed that the cat seemed fine...back to his ole obnoxious self (those darn 9 lives!).

...I smiled at my latest crafty finish - these quilted "list-takers" (pattern here). Another small batch of goods done!



...I got a little of everything I could possibly need in a weekend!

Getting Going

Our Winter break ended today.  It was so wonderful, even dropping off a slightly sassy, over-sugared 5-yr old at preschool, I wished we were all still home.  But, all good things must come to an end.

So, even though I said I wouldn't, I made a list for 2012.  Some goals, dreams, and simple things I want to start doing.  And, I stuck it right at the top of my blog so I could be reminded of these things often.  Take a look, if you like.

One of my bigger dreams is to start selling some wares. I still haven't decided my specific route, but I've decided to just start building a small inventory of goods. As it turns out, I think I like having this sense of focus and productivity in the sewing department. Yesterday I made these soft zipper pouches.  I love how they turned out and can't wait to try out some other things I have on my mind.  



Life is quickly filling up again but it feels so new and refreshing right now.  I feel like there is a lot of positive energy in the air and I like it!